All Hands on Decks – Deck-building in Warhammer Underworlds: Embergard

Gaming Presenters Nick and Josh from the WarhammerTV team have been playing an awful lot of the new edition of Warhammer Underworlds recently, and the prospect of building their own decks has got them all excited. We asked them to go into more detail… 

Josh: It’s time to talk about the Nemesis format for Warhammer Underworlds, where the true deck-building aspect of the game comes in, adding loads more depth to your experience. Let’s take a look at the rules.

Nick: Nemesis is super simple in the new edition. Pick any two universal Rivals decks. These can be any of those from the Embergard box, or any which come out in the future. You can 100% mix the styles of play – so if you want to pick a Strike deck and a Take and Hold deck, you can. The only restriction is this: you can only choose one deck with a Plot card – that’s a little card that details some special rules like the Cataclysm Tracker in the Countdown to Cataclysm deck.

Objective cards

Josh: Then it’s time to start deck-building! Pick 12 or more Objective cards from your two chosen decks. The only restriction here is that you can only have six Surge objectives (the ones marked with the little lightning symbol) in total. 

Nick: The objectives you pick here will, crucially, define exactly what you’re trying to do in the game to score those big Glory points. Try and find that clever mix of cards and have a solid plan in mind to make sure every objective card you select works well with that plan. 

Josh: What is interesting here is that you can pick more than 12 Objective cards if you like. You could, in theory, have up to 18 if you include six Surge objectives. But remember, the more cards you put in your Objective deck, the longer it will take to draw into the ones you really need, so our advice is to be as lean as possible here! 

Power cards

Nick: You can choose at least 20 Power cards from your two decks, but only half of them can be Ploys. Now you know what your Objective cards are, you can really tailor your Power deck to ensure you complete those.

Josh: Every time you pick a Ploy or Upgrade, ask yourself whether this pick is driving you towards your Objectives. If not, do you really need it? Remember, you’re more likely to use more Upgrades in this new edition as they are discarded when the fighter they are attached to is slain – and the Glory points you paid for them with can be reallocated. 

Last but not least

Josh: Of course, the last thing you ought to do is to give your deck a name! Something fun and Warhammer-themed based on what it’s trying to do… 

So, with that all in mind, let’s have a look at a couple of example Nemesis decks that Nick and I have built using the contents of the Embergard box.

There’s no mucking about here; this deck is all about running at your enemy and killing them. The Emberwatch inspire when they use a core ability in enemy territory, so deploy your models as far forward as possible and charge into enemy territory straight away. Use Vanguard Dash (from The Emberwatch’s Warscroll) to move a model into enemy territory early doors, and you might be able to have two fighters inspired by the end of Battle Round 1. 

While most Objective cards score low Glory, all of them reward you for swinging at the enemy and causing damage, so if you keep that in mind at all times, you’ll score most of your Objective deck. 

Your ploys and Upgrades are singularly focused on getting your fighters towards the enemy and making sure you strike well. While cards like Determined Effort and Twist the Knife are there to ensure your attacks hit home and hit hard, don’t leave home without the movement tricks to get your fighters around the board – because if you’re not in range to hit your opponent, you’ll find killing them very hard! 

CLUTCH CARDS:

Get Stuck In: Score an easy Glory point just for making an attack, whether successful or not! 

Accurate: Make your attacks hit home and score that big Glory. 

Sidestep, Lure of Battle & Explosive Charges: These ploys either push your fighters, pull in enemy fighters or make your charges longer, all of which make hitting them a lot easier! 

This deck plays to the strength of the Skaven Warband, which is strength in numbers. With five fighters, you’ll be able to be in more places than your opponent. Why not leverage this manoeuvrability with some treasure token control? This deck relies on the core concepts of Emberstone Sentinels, namely claiming treasure tokens and becoming difficult to kill through your upgrades. I’ve splashed this with some of the key cards from Pillage and Plunder, ensuring you have plenty more movement and survivability to claim those difficult to reach Treasure Tokens in your opponent’s territory. Let your opponent be the aggressor as you run circles around them! 

CLUTCH CARDS:

Explosive Charges: Domain cards stick around, and this one gives your warband a massive threat range. 

By the Numbers: At its worst, this replaces itself, and at its best, you could draw up to five cards to bury your foe in card advantage! 

Switch Things Up: Three of the objectives in this deck require you to hold specific treasure tokens, this keeps the odds of controlling the correct one squarely in your favour. 

The Nemesis format and the deck-building opportunities are a fantastic way to enjoy Warhammer Underworlds, and of course, as more and more Rivals decks get released over time, the combinations on offer to players will increase. 

Thanks guys! Watch Josh and Nick  go head to head in Warhammer Underworlds: Embergard First Play, now available to watch on the Warhammer YouTube Channel